Well it looks like we might be going into another round of shut downs because of covid here in France. The announcement is coming tonight and the word is that they are planning on reinforcing the current nighttime curfew and also adding travel bans during the weekends. I heard that Canada has also now been added to the restricted countries list and that people traveling to France will need to quarantine for 14 days.
With more restrictions coming our way I am really glad that we were able to get away last weekend because who knows how long the ban will go for?
For our weekend adventure we went biking in the Champagne region of France and also sampled a few Champagnes while we were there.
You can't visit the Champagne region of France without at least trying the champagne!
We started our trip in Dormans on the Voie Verte (or Green Path), which is a dedicated cycling trail that follows the Marne river from the towns of Dormans to Conde-sur-Marne. We didn't bike the entire length of the trail but instead decided to make our stop in Epernay, the Capital of champagne (referring to the beverage not the region of course).
The Champagne region is quite hilly throughout but the bike path is paved and mostly flat for the entire duration. It is located next to the Marne river and and passes through several small towns along the way.
Several docks and bridges on the trail offer some great views of the river. There were a few spots that we stopped that were particularly beautiful. The changing colors of the leaves in the area were quite lovely to see.
Champagne vineyards are located on both sides of the bike path as well which really add to the overall scenery of the area. Just like the leaves of the trees, the leaves of the vineyards were changing from their normal green color to a variety of golden yellows and rusty reds.
The day was overcast and damp, despite my weather app stating that it would be sunny all day, and the overcast skies and the moisture in the air didn't help with my photographs. But there were a few spots where the fall colors really popped in the fields that surrounded the bike path.
Some areas had squares of vineyards each undergoing various stages of their color transformation. It gave a sort of patchwork quilt look to the surroundings.
At 62 km, round trip, this was our longest bike ride to date. It was almost too much for us to be honest.
Below are our stats based on a biking app we use, for anyone into that sort of thing:
Travel Time: 3 hours 38 minutes
Avg Speed: 17 km/hr
Max Speed: 32 km/hr
Champagne in Epernay
Epernay, a mid-sized town located on the bank of the Marne river about an hour and 40 minute drive outside of Paris.
It is the principle spot for champagne commerce and has the single most dense cluster of major champagne producers in the entire country of France. They are all located on one major street of the city called the Avenue de Champagne. There, some 20-30meters below the streets surface, is over 100 kilometers of champagne cellars storing countless bottles of the world renown beverage.
Moet de Chandon, Mercier, and De Castellane are only a few of the producers located along the avenue. Below is a photo of Chateau de Perrier, another champagne producer.
It took us about an hour and 30 minutes to get to Epernay by bike and we arrived a little after 12pm. After a quick lunch at a local pub we immediately went on the look out for some champagne tastings.
Each of the major houses offer tours of their cellars and there are more than a dozen different tours to choose from in the city. They generally range in price from 18-30 Euros depending on the location and how many samples you would like to try. We were only interested in sampling some champagnes though so we didn't bother signing up for any of the tours.
After being told at two locations that they weren't allowed to give out tastings anymore because of the new covid restrictions I started to get a bit nervous that we weren't going to be able to try any champagne at all.
Eventually though, while walking along the Avenue de Champagne, we came across the cellars of Collard-Picard, a producer that doesn't do tours but only gives out tastings. Just what we needed! For 20 euros each, my wife and I were able to sample three different champagnes from their Prestige category. All of which we really enjoyed.
To be honest, neither my wife or I are typically a fan of champagne (sparkling wine actually). However, since trying the champagne in Epernay we have come to realize that that probably has to do with the fact that we only ever buy sparkling wine as a sort of novelty for New Years eve. We typically buy the cheapest bottle available in stores and as such, have come to think of champagne as being either sickly sweet or an overly dry beverage that isn't worth wasting your money on. The champagne we tried on this day was definitely not like that at all and our trip to Epernay made us realize that we do in fact like champagne. I guess its just one of those things where quality does in fact matter.
After our second glass of bubbly I leaned on the table and knocked over my champagne flute causing it to break. I was pretty embarrassed handing back the broken glass but the woman serving the champagne didn't seem to mind. Maybe she's used to it happening? I have heard people say that champagne goes right to your head.
After our next flute it was time to head back to our bikes and to make the long journey back to our vehicle.
By this point we were already tired from the first leg of the trip and I think we were both slightly regretting having taken on such an ambitious bike ride.
On the way to Epernay we only stopped once or twice, and only briefly, but on the way back we ended up taking more than a few breaks. A few people passed us casually along the way like it was nothing and there we were, huffing and puffing like we weren't even going to make it back to our car. Dam it! We thought we were in shape.
On the plus side though, the additional stops gave my wife and I more opportunity to take some photos. Actually, I believe that all of our photos were taken on the way back.
Anyway, that's it for our trip in Champagne.
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